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Members of the city's Citizen Review Committee, when they first reviewed in November 2013 an internal affairs investigation into accusations that off-duty Portland police Officer Jason Lobaugh threatened his ex-wife.
(Shane Dixon Kavanaugh/The Oregonian)

A Portland citizen review panel, which voted unanimously in December to challenge the Police Bureau's unproven findings on a complaint that a police officer threatened to beat up his ex-wife, must wait five months to hear back from Portland Police Chief Mike Reese or his designee, on whether he'll alter the bureau's ruling.

The panel, after hearing from the ex-wife and reviewing the bureau's internal affairs investigation, voted 5 to 0 in December to recommend the bureau sustain the allegation that Officer Jason Lobaugh violated the bureau's policy on professional conduct.

The committee is not expected to hear back from the police chief until its May 7 meeting.

"It's a complicated issue. The chief still has that matter under review,'' Portland deputy city attorney Mark Amberg told the Citizen Review Committee Wednesday night. "The chief is still reviewing his decision on that.

Committee chair Jamie Troy said he was dismayed that it's taken so long for the chief to respond.

Troy, noting the recent push by U.S. Department of Justice officials to have city officials speed up internal affairs investigations and citizen appeals of bureau findings, said he'd expect the chief would be mindful of the need for "timely resolutions'' of such cases.

"So it's my expectation the chief would have adequate time to make a decision two months out,'' Troy said.

The review committee - which hears citizen appeals of police bureau findings on complaints of alleged police misconduct - voted to set a conference hearing May 7 to hear the police chief's position on the initial complaint against Lobaugh.

Lobaugh's former wife, Laurie Grant, filed a complaint, alleging Lobaugh threatened to beat up her and her new husband at her home during a custody fight. Lobaugh, a 22-year veteran, was off-duty when he threatened to beat up his former
spouse and her new husband at their home, according to her
complaint.

"I filed a complaint because I was afraid of my situation that day," Grant told the committee last fall. "It was extremely
awkward and horrifying."

If Reese stands by the bureau's unproven finding, then the committee could appeal to the City Council.

Committee members had expected Reese to address the citizen panel in March, but that did not occur.

"Due to complications, it was set back,'' Amberg told committee members Wednesday night. "I know the chief intends to have a response prior to the May meeting.''